Currently available media such as CD (compact disc) and DVD (digital video disc) formats that have audio content that exceeds the capabilities of most conventional loudspeakers, especially at lower or bass frequencies. Typical formats such as DTS® (digital theater system) provide 5.1 channels of compressed audio content. An LFE (low frequency effect) channel (the “0.1” channel) may contain audio content as low as 1 Hz. Even after compression and decompression, the sound track may contain substantial amounts of audio energy at ultra low frequencies. Such low frequencies may not be audible to humans but can be felt, and they add to the experience of watching movies of the science fiction, and action/adventure genres. Even though such audio frequencies are difficult to record, they can be easily synthesized and added to movie sound tracks. This is especially popular in movies that present, for example, explosions, earthquakes or dinosaurs as integral content of the movie.
In the future this problem may become worse since new disc formats such as Blu-Ray® and HD-DVD® will provide wider bandwidth and uncompressed audio.
Conventional loudspeakers (such as subwoofers) designed to handle low frequencies require large acoustic volumes and hence require large amounts floor space; making them inconvenient to locate in a home theater room.
As well, conventionally floor-mounted and wall-mounted loudspeaker transfer significant amounts of acoustic energy or vibrations to the wall and other building structures making low-frequencies audible far beyond the home theater room.
Dudleston et al. (U.S. Patent Application 2003/0123679, filed Dec. 31, 2002) provide an “In-Wall Loudspeaker” designed to mount into a building's interior wall through an opening between two framing studs.
Richie (U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,280, issued Oct. 20, 1981) provides a “Wall Mounted Speaker System” suitable for mounting in the structure of a wall. A mounting assembly adapted for mounting between adjacent wall studs is secured to at least one of the wall studs and receives the speaker enclosure therein.
Combest (U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,886, issued Jul. 9, 2002) provides an apparatus for mounting an audio speaker within a wall such that the apparatus and speaker are attached to and supported by one or more wall studs.
None of the above mentioned loudspeakers and mounting systems mitigate the effects of vibrations transmitted to walls and other building structures nor do they provide means for reproducing low frequencies typically found in LFE channels of popular movies. Clearly, there is a need for an on-wall loudspeaker and mounting apparatus that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.